Denominational Switching

Denominational Switching
Denominational switching is the action of changing from one religious group to another within the Christian Tradition, e.g. from Uniting Church to Anglican Church, Catholic to Pentecostal, etc.
Denominational switching. In the past people tended to remain with the denomination that their parents had baptised them, however in more recent times denominational switching has become more common. Many people, especially young people, find their denomination boring or out of touch and switch to a more exciting and engaging denomination. This has led to an increase in Pentecostalism. Revivals and crusades also led to denominational switching. Also the breakdown of the traditional family structure has led to denominational switching. Children of divorced parents have been found to be more likely to switch denominations. Also with multiculturalism, when two people marry from two different denominations this usually results in one choosing to switch to the other’s denomination.
The Protestant Church in Australia – Inflow and Outflow 1996 to 2001

The diagram shows the switchers in and out (from and to the Catholic Church) are fairly matched. Protestant attenders are more likely than Catholics to switch between denominations, but they generally move to other Protestant churches.
Pentecostal Churches Inflow and Outflow - 1996 to 2001

The pattern of overall growth in attendance is strong and positive. The percentage change between 1996 and 2001 was even greater that for the previous five year period. (18% vs 10%).
A key difference between the two time periods is the improvement in terms of the ‘front and back doors’. The most recent model shows that there are now more newcomers (15%) than there were five years earlier (10%). In terms of outflow, the level of estimated drift out dropped from 15% to 14%. Rather than a net loss for this pathway, the Pentecostal churches present a more balanced picture. This should be a source of real encouragement.
-
Against this positive change, it does need to be noted the Pentecostal sector has among the highest levels of people who drift out of church life altogether. This could partly be linked to the strong and positive inflow of newcomers from outside churches who ‘try out’ Pentecostal churches.
The National Church Life Survey has identified three key reasons that account for inflow and outflow from the Christian denominations:
• attenders switching from other denominations
• newcomers joining the church for the first time or rejoining after an absence of number of years
• the birth of children often brings people back
• decreasing their frequency of attendance or ceasing to attend altogether
• death.
The ‘shopping around’ for the kind of church that suits one’s particular needs reflects a prevailing attitude to the very purpose a church offers to a member of its congregation. Switchers place a high priority on personal spiritual fulfilment and a relatively low priority on denominational loyalty. Some Protestant church leaders fear that this may have a corrosive effect, through neglect, on their various churches’ distinctiveness. Denominational loyalty is relatively high among Catholics. The importance of the Catholic schools in the life of Australian Catholics is thought to be a significant reason for this.
Pentecostal churches have among the greatest number of switchers into their denomination. Their numbers on the 2001 census, however, do not reflect this. This is because while they have the greatest number of switchers in, they also have among the greatest number of switchers out and drifters. The National Church Life Survey estimates that through the 1990s, approximately a third of Pentecostals switched to another denomination or ceased to attend a church altogether.